


Drifting Away

by FrostyQueen



Series: Peter’s Found Family [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adopted Peter Parker, Jealous Peter, Jealousy, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker’s Parental Figure, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Pregnant Pepper Potts, Tony Stark acting as Peter Parker’s parental figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrostyQueen/pseuds/FrostyQueen
Summary: A year has passed, and all is good in the Stark family… at least one would think.Of course, Peter loves Pepper and Tony, and they love him as well, but apparently, having a family is much more complicated than it seems. Peter and Tony have been arguing more and more lately, Pepper has been off, but it’s family.However, things become more complicated when Pepper takes a test revealing she’s pregnant, and all of Peter’s insecurities come back to haunt him.(Sequel to “Will You Be My Found Family?”)
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Peter’s Found Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714762
Comments: 81
Kudos: 389





	1. Broken Curfews

**Author's Note:**

> So here’s the sequel! While this is very much a continuation of the last story, it can be read alone, at the moment.
> 
> However, there are events from the last story that get referenced a lot here, and this is a continuation of already existing internal conflict set up by the last story... so, keep that in mind. 
> 
> This story will also be longer than the first one, and the way I do the times will be slightly different.

“Peter, this is so cool!”

Peter rolled his eyes at his best friend as he finished webbing up a mugger outside the arcade. Peter did  _ not _ think this was cool… but then again, Ned wasn’t the one who got shot at.  _ Just a regular Tuesday night in the life of Spider-Man. _

“Ned, I wouldn’t classify almost dying as ‘cool’.” 

Ned gasped, “Wait, those were  _ real _ gunshots?”

“ _ Yes they were real! _ What did you think they were?”

“I don’t know- you were at an arcade so I thought it was a game…” Ned paused in realization. “Anyways, the manager did say free games for life!”

Peter would love to go to the arcade, but Tony and Pepper were already pretty strict about Spider-Man, especially with how much trouble it was causing lately. Though, he didn’t mention it to his friend, as it would crush his spirits. He simply changed the subject. 

“Did you call the police, Ned?” Peter asked. 

“Oh yeah, I did. They should be on their way- the arcade has security cameras, right?” Ned asked.

“Yup.”

Or at least that’s what the owner said. 

“Good. I should probably go to bed- it’s getting late.”

That caught Peter off guard. “Late” wasn’t a time he was used to hearing from Ned- Peter knew him to stay up well into the night. Peter’s panic level rose. 

“What time is it, Ned?” Peter asked. 

“3 a.m.”

_ Shit. _

“I gotta go.”

He then hung up, not giving Ned a chance to respond.  _ He was in so much trouble. _

Not only was it summer, meaning his curfew was later, giving him leeway as is, but it was the third time this week. First time, Pepper caught him, and she hadn’t been in the mood to deal with him. Second time, his parents were at a party, and they wouldn’t have found out about it if Friday hadn’t snitched. By then, Tony felt it was too late to do anything.

This time, he would most definitely get in trouble. 

Peter anxiously shot his web shooters at a building, and was so nervous swinging himself upward, that he didn’t realize he was going straight towards the brick pavement, slamming right into it. 

Peter fell, his whole body now throbbing in pain, and he could feel the thin and sticky blood begin to show on his face. Peter sighed.  _ This is going to look even better once he sees me! _

Calling Tony or Pepper once he realized he missed his curfew probably would have been the wise and responsible thing to do. Unfortunately, Peter  _ wasn’t _ responsible, and common sense wasn’t a skill set he had. So, Peter continued to swing towards the tower. 

Peter swung to the tower, already letting out a sigh of defeat when he noticed the light was on in the tower.

_ Please be Steve or Bucky. _

Of course, it wasn’t. 

When Peter peaked through the window, Tony was sitting there on the couch, watching the news, where it showed police showing up to the scene of the mugging at the arcade. Peter gulped, as he silently opened the window and slipped through. 

He thought he was successful, as he began sneaking closer to his room.

“Kid, how stupid do you think I am?” 

_ Dammit. _

Peter turned around to see his adoptive father sitting there, his eyes red with exhaustion, but angry nonetheless. 

“Um-.”

“And what the hell happened to you?”

“I ran into a building after I realized I missed my curfew…”

Tony looked at him incredulously, before sighing in defeat. “Three times this week.”

“I know, I can count.”

Tony’s eyes darkened. “Do you really think now is the time for sarcasm?”

Peter gulped. That was definitely a bad decision. 

“I’m sorry, Tony. I just lose track of time…”

It had been months since the building fell on top of Peter, and he hadn’t called Tony the “D” word since. He felt guilty at the thought, but he didn’t know if it was the time- what if he weirded Tony out?

However, Tony looked tired and unwilling to deal with his shit. Now was definitely not the time to call him  _ Dad _ . 

In fact, Tony looked like he wasn’t in the mood to argue with him today, “Just give me your phone, and go to bed.”

Peter’s heart jumped pulling his phone out, “Mr. Stark, how will I keep in touch with you when I go out as Spider-Man?” 

Tony rolled his eyes, “Simple. You won’t go out.”

_ What? _

Peter should have seen it coming, but it was shocking- Tony hadn’t taken away Spider-Man since  _ The Incident.  _ Tony just sighed.

“Peter, I see you’re about to argue… please don’t. I already have enough to deal with right now.” Tony snapped.

That caused Peter to press his StarkPhone into his father’s hand.  _ A burden as usual.  _ Peter’s heart dropped in his stomach… he thought he was past feeling this way, but with the arguments he’d had with them lately… the emotions started coming back.

Tony  _ was _ right. There were more important things to worry about- Pepper had been sick lately, making her grouchy towards everyone. The grouchiness, while not necessarily aimed at Peter didn’t make him feel better. However Tony seemed to calm down a little, as he leaned forward and kissed the boy.

“Good night, kid.”

Then he left.

Great, no Spider-Man… so what now?

  
  



	2. Bun in the Oven

Pepper had just finished vomiting into the toilet, as Tony held out a glass of water, gently stroking her back. Pepper was worried- she hardly ever got this sick- in fact, the last time she vomited was  _ years _ ago. Tony definitely looked worried about it too…

“Pepper, did you make an appointment yet?” 

She shook her head. 

Between Stark Industry events, and her rebellious teenage son, it hadn’t really crossed her mind to make one. As soon as Peter crossed her mind her body was shaking in worry and anger.

“Did Peter make it home last night?”

Tony nodded his head, “Yeah, and I took his phone and said no Spider-Man for a week, and we should really make you an appointment.”

“I’ll get to it today. What time did he get home?” Pepper asked. 

Tony closed his eyes, as if trying his hardest to be calm, “Three. But Pepper-“

“THREE?!”

Tony sighed, “Yes, I already gave him his punishment, but don’t stress yourself out over this.”

Pepper wasn’t stress- she was fucking  _ pissed _ . She loved her son, but sometimes, he didn’t know when to stop or when enough was enough. She wondered if there was something else going on, or if Peter was just being a teenager.

Pepper wasn’t a big advocate of him being Spider-Man in general- not since  _ that night.  _ Pepper gulped as she thought about it. 

Nevertheless, it made her son happy being Spider-Man, and her and Tony knew he wouldn’t stop- Peter had such a burning passion for helping people. Pepper admired that about him- but the boy was so damn self sacrificial. She could deal with that later…

“I’m going to take a shower.”

***

Peter woke up at 11 and immediately looked for his phone, eventually groaning when he recalled the events of the previous day. Peter sighed, and put on his pajama pants, which were lying by his bed. He stood up, a surge of panic filling his stomach. 

_ I’m going to have to deal with Pepper now.  _

Peter sighed. Pepper wasn’t bad, but she was the stricter of his two parents. He opened the door, and followed the loud talking and laughing produced by the Avengers. He nervously and slowly climbed the stairs, until the Avengers, who were joking around the table came into view. Pepper wasn’t anywhere in sight. 

Peter sighed in relief, when Steve caught a glance at him.

“Peter! We missed you last night!”

Now all the attention was on him, and Peter saw his father glare at Steve.

“Cap, I said not to give him a hard time.” He warned.

Peter felt grateful that his father did that, but unfortunately, Bucky glared at him.

“You missed breakfast- of course if you came home like you were supposed to, that wouldn’t have happened.” Bucky scolded.

Tony glared, “Not your job. Need I remind you who his parents are?”

Natasha came closer, running a finger down his face, causing Peter to flinch. Guess the scars hadn’t healed like they usually do last night.

“Did the muggers do this to you?” 

Peter froze. Apparently Tony had told them parts of what happened- at least the parts that were on the news- but he didn’t tell them everything… which made this next sentence extremely embarrassing.

“Actually, uh, I ran into a building.” 

There was a pause…. then the room erupted into laughter. 

“Can fight armed muggers and come out unscathed but can’t watch where he’s going?” Clint smiled. 

Peter blushed, as Tony came towards him, holding an apple. 

“Eat something. Lunch will be in an hour.”

Peter did so, taking a bite out of his apple, despite not being hungry, and sat down on the couch. He saw Pepper come in, her red hair damp, and a towel in her hands, blue eyes narrowing as she saw Peter. She didn’t say anything, but her expression was clear;  _ You are in so much trouble. _

Pepper walked to the kitchen, back towards the teenage boy, and looking between the Avengers. Bucky made the first mistake:

“You look like hell.”

Peter couldn’t see her expression, but he could imagine it darkened, because that sentence was followed by a sharp, humorless cackle.

“Thank you  _ so much _ for pointing that out Barnes! I did not know that!” She exclaimed in a sharp, sarcastic tone. “Who knew that your  _ teenage _ son blatantly disobeying you for the third time this week and being sick with  _ who knows what  _ could cause so much stress- but you know, thanks for letting me know.”

Guilt filled Peter, as he gulped. He didn’t mean to cause Pepper so much stress… to be a  _ burden  _ on Pepper… but he had been.

“Pepper, I’m sorry-“

Pepper turned towards him letting out a sigh, “I’m sorry, I’m just really frustrated and shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

But Peter didn’t believe her, and as the juice of the apple he held ran down his hand, he suddenly lost what little appetite he had. He left, after throwing his apple away, and went to his room.

What he didn’t know he left behind was an awkward silence, and a teary eyed Pepper.

***

“I’m just so  _ angry _ with him, but I don’t know how to get him to follow the rules… but I have so much going on right now, and I don’t know.. what am I doing wrong?” Pepper was sobbing to Natasha, after being led to the spy’s room.

Natasha shook her head, “Peter is a teenager… blatant disobedience is very common among them. You aren’t doing anything wrong… every parent goes through this.”

Pepper wiped a tear off her face. “Where’d you learn so much about kids?”

“Clint.”

There was a pause, before Natasha went to a plastic bag that sat in the corner, pulling a box out of it. Pepper was confused. 

“That reminds me, I got you this… I need you to take it.”

Pepper finally saw the box. It was a pregnancy test. Her whole body felt in shock.

“I’m not pregnant!”

Natasha shrugged, “You don’t know that. You haven’t taken the test yet.”

Pepper sat there thinking about it. Her period was a little late… and she did show other symptoms of pregnancy. That being said, she refused to believe she was pregnant… but there was only one way to find out.

***

“I took it, but I don’t think I’m pregnant.” Pepper lied. 

Pepper walked in, with the test and the timer she set on her phone. She sat the test on her lap, face down, refusing to look at it until the timer went off.

Natasha simply shrugged, “Maybe you aren’t, but what’s so wrong with being pregnant? Peter will have a little brother or sister?”

Pepper sighed, “Two children are enough- I don’t need a third.”

Of course, she did consider it months ago, and even told Tony about it… but she was still trying to connect with Peter. She had succeeded, but she didn’t know if she was ready for another child…

Natasha smiled, “Two? Don’t you mean one?

Pepper shook her head, “No, I meant two. Tony and Peter.”

Natasha laughed, as the timer dinged. Pepper took a deep breath, as adrenaline pumped through her body. She turned it over, and gasped as she looked at the two lines plastered on top of the test.

Pepper was pregnant. 


	3. We’ll Figure This Out

Pepper tried not to panic, but this didn’t feel real. She took another one, and another one. All the same results.

She had a human growing inside of her, and she was going to have another child. Honestly, Pepper didn’t know how she felt- she was nervous, of course. She felt unprepared, of course. Yet, a little spark of excitement ignited in her chest at the thought.  _ Another _ child… Peter would have a sibling… another mini Tony and her running around the house….

Her heart stopped for a moment, “I need to tell Tony.”

***

Peter was tossing a tiny rubber bouncy ball in the air, and catching it, for the most part. It hit him in the face a few times, but Peter was lost in thought, thinking about Pepper. Had he caused that much stress on top of everything? He shook the thought out of his head. Of course he didn’t- Pepper loved him, and so did Tony- they weren’t like his previous foster homes.

They wouldn’t see him as a burden.

Peter’s thoughts were interrupted by FRIDAY.

“Peter, Mr. Stark requests your presence in his lab.” 

Peter’s anxiety flared up once again, though he didn’t know why. Tony would at the very most scold him for being late again last night. Nevertheless, he sighed.

“Tell Mr. Stark that I’m busy.”

“Very well.”

A moment passed as FRIDAY undoubtedly was passing Peter’s lie on to his father. As expected, FRIDAY returned.

“Mr. Stark says that it’s urgent that you come down immediately, or he will come upstairs to speak to you.” 

Peter rolled his eyes as he hopped out of bed. That is probably not what Tony said… he most likely said something along the lines of, “He needs to get his ass down here immediately, or I’m coming upstairs.”

Peter said, “Okay, tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Peter took as long as humanly possible to get downstairs- and soon a “few minutes” turned into ten. Peter stopped at the bottom of the stairs, briefly watching his father work. It didn’t look like he noticed him, so he began to climb the steps.

“Peter, turn your ass back around.” His father’s sharp voice echoed from behind him.

Peter did as he was told, and climbed down the rest of the stairs, avoiding his father’s gaze. He heard his father sigh.

“I wanted to wait for Pepper, but she went to her room after the outburst earlier.” 

Peter felt a ping of guilt after what happened earlier.

“Listen, Tony, about earlier-“

“Not your fault.” Tony assured him. “She has been stressed, and yes, some of it is you, the curfew thing was the most recent. I’ve probably caused her more stress than you.”

Peter appreciated the attempt at making him feel better, but it also did not help one bit. 

“That being said… what the hell were you thinking?  _ Three  _ times this week?” Tony scolded. 

Peter remained silent, and kept his eyes on the floor.

“Peter, look at me when I’m talking to you.” Tony ordered firmly.

Peter, afraid of his father’s wrath, looked at him, realizing his brown eyes were less angry than they were concerned. This made Peter’s stomach drop more. 

“I’m sorry.”

“When we let you keep doing this, we gave you ground rules- this wasn’t for our amusement. This wasn’t to make you upset. This was for  _ your _ safety.” Tony continued.

Peter sighed. He was selfish- he couldn’t keep track of time to keep his parents worried. His first time in years being apart of a family, and he was fucking up being a son.

“I’m sorry…”

Tony glared, “I don’t want an apology. I want change- and I want you to  _ give a shit _ about your safety.”

Peter sighed. If only he realized how hypocritical he sounded right now, but he didn’t want to test his father’s patience right now. 

“I know, I just… I’m trying.”

Tony sighed, “Well you need to try harder.”

Tears threatened to fill Peter’s eyes, as he got pulled into a hug. He just felt so awful… Why did he do this to Pepper and Tony?

Peter was about to speak, when….

“Mr. Stark, Mrs. Stark requests your presence.”

Tony pulled away, looking at Peter, “I’ll be back.”

***

Pepper was freaking out… what was she supposed to tell Tony? She kept taking deep breaths in and out, when Tony came through the door, worry evident on his face.

“Pepper… what’s wrong?”

Pepper stood there, frozen in place. What was she supposed to tell him?  _ How _ was she supposed to tell him? Tony rubbed his hand on her back.

_ Just say it. _

“I’m pregnant.”

Tony stopped his hand abruptly, staring at her, as Pepper realized how odd that sounded. Tony, however was still trying to process it.

“Can you run that by me again?” 

Pepper gave him a look, “We’re going to have another child… and Peter’s going to have a sibling.”

Tony’s reaction was not what Pepper was expecting. He simply smiled, as if he was happy about this.

“That’s great, Pep!” 

Pepper frowned, and Tony knew something was wrong.

“...unless you don’t want another child…”

Pepper then burst out crying, “Of course I want another child, but I don’t know if I’m even ready to have another child! Peter… he’s still adapting. What if I mess up? What if this messes things up for him?”

Tony held his hands up, “Woah, woah, woah.” he took a breath, “First of all, it’s completely normal to feel unprepared as a parent, Clint told me this. However, if you don’t want to have another one right now-“

“I want to keep it!”

Tony blinked, “Okay then. I don’t think this will mess things up between us and Peter, okay? Peter is still adapting, yes, but he’s not going to be any less our son with another child, and we will ensure that he doesn’t feel that way.”

Pepper took a deep breath. Maybe he’s right…

“We’ll figure this out together, I swear.”

Tony and Pepper, for a moment felt a breath of relief, but unfortunately, neither could predict the future or how Peter would feel about his new sibling. For now, the couple leaned at each other for the rest of the afternoon, for comfort, as Tony sent Bucky down to speak to hang out with Peter. 

  
  
  
  



	4. School Shopping

A month had past, and Peter couldn’t help but realize that Pepper and Tony were being distant with them. Many times, they would leave the tower without telling anyone, and other times, a Peter would catch them talking in hushed whispers, as though they were keeping a secret. When they went into another room, Peter would occasionally follow them to see if they needed help, only to be told to leave.

Peter tried not to take it personally, but his insecurities got the better of him. He felt alienated, and like they didn’t want him to know something yet- but why? Was it about him?

Peter stopped patrolling for a few weeks, assuming that was the problem, and nothing had changed.

Today, Tony was supposed to take him school shopping, and Peter was excited… that is until he walked into the living room and saw Bucky sitting there. Bucky immediately looked up and gave the teen a small smile.

“Tony got caught up in something last minute… he asked me to take you school shopping.” Bucky told him.

Peter felt his heart drop to his stomach. Tony had left him… again. Peter didn’t want to seem overdramatic about it, so he simply smiled. 

“Let’s go, then.”

***

Peter and Bucky went to Target, even though Tony probably gave them enough money to go anywhere else. Peter wandered to the school supply section, as Bucky went elsewhere, probably to blow the remaining money on something stupid. Peter rolled his eyes, and pulled out his supply list, and began looking.

He walked over to a shelf, searching for a graphing calculator, when a voice behind him said, “Hey, loser!”

Peter whipped his head around, and saw a familiar looking girl, wearing a simple jean jacket, green shirt and pants. Her dark, curly hair was up in a ponytail, and she was smiling at him.

“Oh, hey MJ.” Peter simply responded. 

Peter and MJ were  _ kind-of, sort-of  _ friends… for the past two years of school, MJ would sit at his and Ned’s table, claiming it was because she had no other friends. They talked occasionally on field trips and decathlon meets, and the conversations they did have were nice. 

MJ looked at the shelf, and took down two graphing calculators and handed one to Peter, “Use this. It’s better.” 

“Oh thanks.”

The two stood there awkwardly, as they dug around for their remaining school supplies. Peter had a feeling that MJ either had a crush on him, or suspected he was Spider-Man, but he didn’t mind. If MJ had a crush on him, she hadn’t acted on it yet, and if she thought he was Spider-Man, she hadn’t told everyone. 

“Hey, are you doing decathlon this year?”

Peter’s eyes snapped back up to MJ, “Huh?” Peter shook his head a bit, “Oh, yeah. I’m doing it.”

MJ smirked, “You aren’t going to ditch us again, are you?”

Peter didn’t know what she was talking about, but then he recalled DC. “Oh, no I’m not.”

_ Hopefully. _

“Good. I’d hate to give your spot to Flash.”

Peter let out a laugh, when Bucky entered the aisle holding a Wal-Mart bag, and smiled largely when he saw the boy. “Peter!” 

MJ gave Peter one last smile, “See you in school, dork.”

Then she left, as Bucky got closer, causing him to raise an eye, “Who was that?”

“A friend from school.” Peter replied.

Bucky narrowed his eyes, “Good friend or bad friend?”

“What? I just described her as my friend, how do you expect me to answer that?” Peter asked.

Bucky shrugged, “You said that fucking Zoom Thompson was your friend, only for Steve to find out he nearly hits you with his car every day!”

“Flash, and yeah, she’s a good friend. Well, I mean, we’re not close or anything, but she doesn’t pick on me, if that’s what we’re asking.” Peter explained.

“She damn well better not.” Bucky growled. 

“She doesn’t! She’s chill.”  _ Like you need to be. _

Bucky let out a grunt, as if not wanting to push the conversation further. Peter looked at the bag, noticing something large wad in it.

“What’s in the bag?” Peter asked.

Bucky glared, “They don’t have any fucking Winter Soldier footie pajamas.”

Peter held back a laugh, “You mean you looked?”

Bucky grunted and nodded, pulling out a long pair of Captain America footie pajamas, “I settled for Captain America. Figured I’d piss him off.”

Peter laughed, and then Bucky continued.

“I would’ve bought you Spider-Man pajamas, but you already made that homemade thing.” He was rummaging through the bag.

“Oh you didn’t have to-“

Bucky then pulled out a pair Iron Man footie pajamas.

Peter closed his eyes.  _ This would be interesting. _

*** 

Later that night, Bucky and Peter were sitting at the TV watching the news, when Pepper came in. She looked towards the two, and bursted out laughing- the first time Peter had seen her do so in a while.

“You two, I swear-“

Peter blushed, while Bucky smiled in pure confidence, as if to let everyone know that this was 100%  _ his _ idea.

Then, Tony walked in with a bowl of popcorn, and dropped the bucket. He gave his son a playful glare. 

“What. The. Hell. Are you wearing?” 

Peter blushed, “Pajamas.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “No shit. I thought I sent you to the store to get school supplies?”

Peter held back saying,  _ Because you wouldn’t take me. _

“Nah, you sent  _ Peter _ to the store to buy school supplies.” Bucky stated looking up innocently. 

Tony sighed, “I would tell you to take that off, but I know damn well you won’t.”

Peter frowned.  _ What the hell is that supposed to mean?  _ Was his disobedience the reason he was being ignored?

Tony sat down next to Peter. “What are we watching?”

“The news.”

Tony got up, “Nope. Don’t want to watch anymore.”

Peter frowned. He was so close to spending time with his father… Did Tony even realize how little he’d been paying attention to him? Peter frowned trying hard not to cry… he was just being overdramatic.

After Tony left, Steve walked in, and caught sight of Peter and Bucky. 

“You have got to be kidding me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was less angsty than I aim for, but shit starts getting real next chapter.


	5. Telling Peter

“Ned, scoot closer to Peter and Peter- yeah.” 

“Do we  _ really _ have to do this?”

August had arrived, Peter and Ned were posing in front of a window, sharing a sign that read,  _ First day of Junior year,  _ as the other Avengers tried to take pictures on their phones. Tony stood in front of the group, surprisingly taking time from whatever made the man ignore his son.

“Pete, it’s important.” Tony said.

“Yeah, Peter, it’s important!” Ned protested. 

When they were done, Tony walked over to Peter, who was glaring at everyone. Tony assumed it to be teenage angst at first, but he seemed genuinely upset because of something. Ned proceeded to babble about Star Wars to Steve, who was excited to understand the references, and while Ned was distracted, Tony decided to talk to Peter. 

Tony placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder, “You okay?”

“I’m  _ fine _ .” Peter growled.

Tony narrowed his eyes. What was this kid’s problem today?

“You’ll lose that attitude right now.” Tony scolded lightly. “I’m only trying to help.” 

This seemed to piss Peter off even more, “Oh,  _ now  _ you want to help?”

Peter angrily shrugged Tony’s hand away, giving him a harsh glare as he walked away. Tony felt a mix of emotions fill up inside him, each one indistinguishable. Anger? Worry? Confusion? All three? Possibly. But his tone came out angry. 

“What  _ the hell _ is that supposed to mean?”

Peter ignored him, as the whole room turned to stare at the father and son. He reached for his backpack and started shoving stuff into it, getting ready for school. Tony felt anger take over the other emotions, as he grabbed his wrist, gently. 

Tony looked at him. “Peter, speak.”

“I’m speaking.” 

The storm of anger only grew worse. Was that really how he was going to play this? 

“Peter, either you tell me what’s wrong, or you’re grounded for the rest of the month.” Tony growled.

Clint grabbed Tony, “No, this is no way to do things. He has to get to school, Tony. 

“Yeah, I need to go, asshole!” Peter yelled, pulling out of his grasp.

Tony took a deep breath. He was pissed. He didn’t know what was wrong with his son this morning, and his son seemed to not be the happiest with him for some reason.

“I am going to pretend you didn’t just call me that, for both of our sakes. Go to school, and we will talk when you get home.” Tony growled. 

And with that, he just walked out, leaving everyone to wonder what the hell happened?

***

Clint immediately followed Tony into his lab, where he knew the man was going to spend some time to himself, no doubt. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Stark?” Clint snapped.

Tony glared, “Have you heard of privacy?”

“Have you heard of not treating your son like shit?”

“He started it!”

Clint rolled his eyes at the pure immaturity in that statement, as Tony proceeded to flop in his chair.

“Did he start it though?”

Tony narrowed his eyes, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You know, Tony, for a genius, you really are dense.” 

Tony looked at him in conclusion, as if he was actually confused as to  _ how _ this could be his fault. It annoyed Clint, but he really was curious to what excuse this man could  _ possibly  _ have. 

“You have been ignoring the kid for months now… and the last  _ real _ conversation you had with him was to yell at him about his curfew, and the last conversation he had with Pepper left them both upset. How do you think that looks to him?” Clint explained.

Tony tried to bite back a response but he couldn’t- he had been ignoring the kid lately. He hadn’t noticed it… but they never formally announced Pepper’s pregnancy, and Tony had been running her to appointments, and they had been busy planning for their second child. 

Clint glared, “I wanted to hear your reason, but now, I really don’t give a shit. Either make it right, or you and I will be exchanging words again, and I will not be as lenient as I am now.

***

Meanwhile, Peter’s anger had worn off, and guilt overcame him. He had a right to be angry, of course, but he couldn’t help but think he had gone too far that morning. Why couldn’t he just say, “Hey, you’ve been ignoring me, and that pisses me off.” Why did he have to call his father an asshole? 

“Peter, don’t beat yourself up over it… you’re entitled to feel however you feel.” Ned patted his back.

Peter nodded, “But I could have handled it better.”

“You both could have.”

Peter nodded, not wanting to talk about it any further. Luckily, MJ came over and sat at their table. 

“Hey losers.” 

“Hey MJ.” They said in semi-unison.

MJ frowned, “You okay?”

“I called my dad an asshole for ignoring me this morning.” Peter told her. 

MJ nodded, “I would have done the same thing… but that doesn’t mean it was the right decision.”

Peter nodded. Maybe it was normal, but it wasn’t really a good thing to do in the only moment he was able to spend with his dad.

“Thanks guys.”

***

When Peter got home, Pepper and Tony were both sitting at the table, waiting for him. Peter put his stuff down, and didn’t wait for an invitation before sitting at the table between them. He didn’t look at either his parents, but he decided to speak up first.

“Look, Tony, I’m sorry for calling you an asshole-“

Tony shook his head, “That’s not what we want to talk to you about-“

Peter raised his eyebrows.  _ They were going to get rid of him.  _

“But this morning-“

Tony nodded, “And you were right. I was being an asshole, and I’m sorry if you’ve felt ignored… we’ve been taking a lot of time to deal with some stuff… and it’s time to come clean about it…”

_ They’ve been making my arrangements… where I’ll go. They’re going to get rid of me. _

Pepper cleared her throat “I’m pregnant.” 

_ Wait what? _

“Pregnant?”

“Yes. We’re really sorry we didn’t tell you sooner…. we’ve been busy with appointments, planning for the baby and stuff.” Pepper explained. 

_ And not once could they spare time for me.  _ Peter thought.

Apparently, Tony noticed his son’s pained expression. “Peter… I know this is a lot to take in…”

“I’m fine.”

“Pete-“

“I said I’m fine!”

Peter should have stayed, but he couldn’t let him see him like this.. it was embarrassing. He didn’t want to talk about his emotions either… so he got up and left.

“Peter!” 

But it was too late. Tony looked at Pepper, who had tears in her eyes. “Well that went well.”


	6. Why Now?

Peter sat in his room, silently, listening to the soft chatters of his parents downstairs. His heart was beating quickly, as he began running through the exercises his therapists taught him. Pepper and Tony would never replace him… right? He tried to stop the tears from pouring out his eyes. Peter took a deep breath. He was just being overdramatic… but he needed some fresh air.

Peter grabbed his suit, and crawled out the window. Maybe he would be better in a few hours.

***

Silence filled the room, as Pepper began cooking and Tony set the table; it had been this way for the last hour since Peter left. In a way, Tony felt guilty, he should have gone after him once he stormed off, because despite what the kid said, he was  _ not _ fine. However, Peter was a teenager… he needed his space. 

“Wow. This is hella awkward- what did Tony do?” A voice said from behind him.

“Bucky, why do you assume it’s always something I did?” Tony questioned. 

Bucky sat at the table, and rolled his eyes, “Because you’re the only one who does stupid shit.”

The room remained quiet, and Bucky figured whatever was going on, was serious. Pepper stirred the pot, and took a seat. 

“Bucky, can you check on Peter, please?” Pepper asked.

Tony got up, “I got it.”

Then, Tony left the room, leaving Bucky and Pepper alone. Bucky noticed Pepper buried her face into her hand, and her breath was shaky and fast. 

“What’s wrong?”

Pepper looked up, “I’m pregnant. And we told Peter.”

Bucky’s eyes widened, “I’m sorry, what?” 

Pepper looked down, and explained the last few months; how they figured out Pepper’s sickness was due to pregnancy. Bucky nodded his head and proceeded to listen. 

“I-I just don’t get why Peter would be upset!”

Bucky quirked his eyebrows, “Mind if I give you my input?”

Pepper simply nodded, “I’m  _ begging _ you to give me your input.”

“Okay.” Bucky sat up. “Peter has spent years of his life moving from foster home to foster home, and he was thrown away like trash for a variety of reasons- but one of those reasons is new babies.”

Pepper looked at Bucky, “But this is different! We’d never get rid of him-“

Bucky nodded, “I understand that, but you have to understand he’s been through a lot, and he’s already been traumatized… which isn’t your fault, and that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have kids- but you should try to help him through things like this. Ignoring him for weeks, especially when the last time you had a conversation with him ended not so well…”

Pepper felt even worse now, and perhaps she should have. She didn’t even realize how much they’d been ignoring Peter, and she didn’t even realize the last conversation they had was when he had been sneaking out. She never even apologized for the way she acted, or talked to him about what happened, and now, it was probably too late.

Tony and Pepper had been so busy worrying about having a newborn coming, and trying to prepare while keeping it a secret, that they didn’t pay much attention to him. 

Pepper was about to speak, when Tony came in, eyes wide, and his jaw clenched. He exuded a mixture of nervous and frantic energy as he made his way into the room.

“Peter left.”

Pepper’s heart stopped. Did he run away?

Tony grabbed his keys and phone, “I looked in his bedroom, his bathroom, my lab, Bucky and Steve’s room, and his suit is missing.”

Pepper knew he was most likely getting some fresh air after what happened, but it didn’t stop her from feeling worried, nonetheless. She got up, prepared to look for him, when Tony glared at her.

“Nope. I got this, you go ahead and relax.”

“But Tony-“

“Pepper, I can find him, and bring him home to us.”

Little did he know, Pepper wasn’t worried about that. She was worried about how he’d react. 

***

Peter didn’t go Spider-Manning: at least not in the way one would think. He was dressed as Spider-Man, and he honestly did want to go out as Spider-Man, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Normally, he would go out as Spider-Man to clear his head, but right now, he didn’t think that was going to work. So, he simply sat on top of a building, staring at the busy streets

Peter did understand that he was still Pepper and Tony’s kid, but he felt that he could never compete with this child- their  _ real _ child. He had met the Starks as a teenager, and he understood that he wasn’t raised by them since birth, like this child would be. It was a depressing thought but understood it was thoughts that he would have to have eventually.

Peter was going to go back when he was ready, so when he heard Iron Man approaching, he got angry. What made him more angry was hearing Tony speak.

“What the hell were you thinking? Leaving without telling anyone?”

Peter rolled his eyes, “I did tell someone. I sent a text to Clint.”

“Pete, Clint is at home with his kids.”

“Still, I didn’t leave without telling anyone.”

Tony was not amused, “You really think now is the good time to be making jokes?”

Peter was pissed off, and he whipped his head around, “I really don’t need to hear your lecture on timing right now.”

That seemed to make Tony mad, as he let out an angry breath.

“Listen, I know you aren’t happy with me or Pepper, but for fuck sake, can you lay off the attitude?” Tony snapped.

Peter shut his eyes tightly. Better to make Tony hate him now than later. 

“So my emotions don’t matter to you-“

“Dammit, Peter, is that what this is about?” Tony’s voice now sounded hurt and pained 

“Let’s go.”

Peter turned around, but Tony stood in front of him, his suit showing his face. It looked genuinely concerned.

“No, kid, not until we talk about-“

“What is there to talk about?  _ Obviously _ if there was something to say, you’d have said it by now.”

“Pete-“

But Peter was already swinging home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven’t been posting!
> 
> I have been busy with school and NaNoWriMo.


	7. The Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! 
> 
> Thank you everyone for the support, and I am happy to say my mental health has gotten a little better.
> 
> That being said, I got motivation to write after the title reveal stuff on Instagram started, so enjoy.

It had been a few days since Tony and Peter’s argument, and they hadn’t spoken since. Pepper tried to speak to him, but Peter didn’t speak back- there was no use of letting himself get hurt. The ending days of August soon turned into the beginning days of September, which meant his first Academic Decathlon competition was coming up that weekend.

As much as he would love for his parents to be there, he couldn’t bring himself to invite them yet. Besides, it wasn’t like he was around them much the past few days. 

Peter spent more time at Ned’s house and less time at home, and according to Bucky, Tony was not happy about it. But Peter didn’t care… he refused to forgive him, only for Tony to turn his back to him again. 

He took on more extra-curricular activities, rejoined the clubs he quit for Spider-Man… anything to get away from Pepper and Tony. Despite what anyone else said, Peter was  _ fine _ .

“Peter Parker!” 

Peter blinked out of his thoughts, and looked at Mrs. Deurk, who had a disappointed look on his face. 

“Zoning out again, are we, Mr. Parker?”

That was a rhetorical question, as Mrs. Deurk knew the answer already, but Peter simply shook his head, to indicate that he was in fact paying attention now. 

“Good, your partner will be Michelle Jones.”

_ Shit. Partner for what? _

Before he could make a fool of himself in asking, the bell rang and MJ walked over to him, with an unreadable look on her face, one that seemed to be hiding a blush for some reason. 

“Hey, uh, my parents have a dinner party tonight, is it okay if I go to your place after school?” MJ asked. 

Peter stared at her. How was he supposed to say no?

“Um, sure.” 

_ Shit.  _ Peter thought.  _ Take it back! You have patrol tonight, and you are supposed to be avoiding Tony! _

MJ gave him a smug smile, “Great, you live in Stark Tower right!”

_ Now’s your chance, say no! _

“Yes, but you may have to ask for me once you get to the front desk.” Peter advised her.

_ Dammit Parker. _

“Okay… see you at 6!”

“Wai-“

By that time, MJ was already gone.

***

When Peter exited the elevator, everyone whipped their heads around, and stopped talking, as they most likely weren’t expecting them. Peter froze for a moment as his eyes met Tony’s, which were sympathetic. Peter then quickly looked away.

“Do you think you can make an extra plate of dinner for my friend MJ? We have a project for school, and we couldn’t do it at her place.” 

Pepper stood up and started walking towards him, “Of course, Peter-“

“Great, she’ll be over at 6.” 

With that, Peter left to go to his room, and kept walking, despite sensing someone following him. When he reached his room, he turned around, to glare at the person. 

“Tony-“

“I’m sorry.” 

Peter was taken aback, his anger slowly trickling away. Those weren’t words that came out of the great Tony Stark’s mouth often, but Tony was looking at him with eyes that pleaded for forgiveness. Peter wanted to immediately, but-

“For?” 

Tony shook his head, “For whatever I’ve done to cause you pain the past few weeks.”

It kind of stung that Tony did even know what he did to make him upset, then again… Peter never explained it to him.

“Um-“

“Peter, please just tell me what I’m doing wrong.” Tony asked. 

Peter froze. He had his chance, but for some reason, he couldn’t find the words. How was he supposed to explain that he was jealous of an unborn child without sounding childish? 

“Um, it’s nothing… I’ve just been overwhelmed by school and Academic Decathlon. It’s Junior year, so I am also worried about college and stuff...” Peter told him.

It wasn’t a complete lie… but then again, it was nowhere near being the full truth. 

Tony nodded, obviously not completely believing it, “Well… you know you can talk to us, right?”

Peter nodded, “I know, I guess, I’m not used to having someone to talk to…”

Now  _ that _ wasn’t a lie at all, but Peter did shiver at the thought of his past foster homes, which didn’t go unnoticed by Tony. He stepped closer to Peter, which Peter instinctively pushed back.

“It’s fine, I forgive you.”

_ Do I, though?  _

“For.. uh… the other night, I mean.”

_ Too soon. You need to learn to stand up for yourself Parker. _

“Good.”

***

“Peter? How are you doing over there?” 

MJ snapped Peter out of his thoughts, as he stared at the notes he took as he researched. It must’ve been obvious to MJ that Peter’s heart just wasn’t into the project, because she walked over to him.

“If you’re having a hard time, we can take a break. The project isn’t due until Monday.”

Peter nodded, “I know, we have the decathlon on Saturday, so it’s best we get it done before then.”

“That’s not healthy.”

Peter took a deep breath. When MJ, who was a renowned overachiever at their school, says his overachieving was unhealthy, he knew it was unhealthy.

“Your ride won’t be here until 8 though-“

“Peter, you’re overwhelmed. Take a break… we’ve already gotten more done than we said we would.” MJ told him.

Peter closed his laptop. “Okay.”

“Good.”

“So what do we do now?”

There was a knock on the door, when Bucky poked his head in. “Dinner’s ready.”

***

MJ seemed to get along well with Peter’s family, at least better than he had been lately. She talked with Pepper about the baby, and told her about when her own mother was pregnant. She debated science with Tony and Bruce and even discussed school with them.

“Are you guys attending the Academic Decathlon this weekend?”

Peter felt a wave of awkwardness fall over the table, and looked away as everyone looked at him. He forgot- he didn’t tell anyone it was this weekend. Tony was the first to clear his throat.

“We would love to, but I do have to ask, why is this the first I’m hearing about this? And why am I not hearing about it from my son?” Tony asked.

More silence.

“Peter?” Tony pressured.

“Um, I must have forgotten about it…”

_ That was bullshit.  _ MJ knew, as she raised an eyebrow at Peter. She didn’t say anything though- she must’ve known how Peter was feeling, and didn’t want to push the knife in deeper.

“Well, we’ll definitely be there.” Tony said.

Peter couldn’t help but feel excited at hearing this… his heart was racing, and his fear disappeared. After months of being ignored, he finally felt they were making an effort.

Peter looked up, to see Pepper nodding in agreement. 

Peter smiled at them, and continued eating, even continuing conversing with the others.

***

Peter walked MJ out, and they talked on the way out. They reached the front door, when MJ stopped, turning to Peter.

“I know how you feel, when your adoptive parents are having a child who is biologically there’s,” MJ explained, “that’s how I felt when my stepmother got pregnant. I just want you to know if you need anything… I’m here.”

As she pulled Peter into a hug, he couldn’t help but be surprised. He didn’t know MJ that well, and he wasn’t used to hearing her share things so personal. She was usually quiet, didn’t speak much at all, and she wasn’t the kind of person to open up. 

When she pulled away, she waved and said, “See you tomorrow, loser!”

  
  



	8. Academic Decathlon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter one, but I wrote this when I was stressed, and needed to get my attention off the thing I was stressed about.
> 
> Anyways, I changed the chapter number from 22 to 23, because I wasn’t expecting this chapter to be so short,

It was Saturday morning, day of the Academic Decathlon, and Peter’s stomach was filled with a mixture of excitement and nerves. He had full confidence in both himself and the rest of the team, as MJ had made sure they were all prepared for this event. However, it was the first event both his parents would be in attendance to.

As he sat in the back of Bucky’s car, Peter felt his knee instinctively shake, so much so that Bucky could apparently hear it up front. 

“You good, kid?”

Peter blinked, “Of course, just nervous.”

For once, that wasn’t a lie. He  _ was _ just nervous, but he hoped the nerves would disappear once he saw Pepper and Tony in the audience today. 

***

Peter sat next to MJ on the bus, as the two had grown closer by doing the project. Ned sat in the seat in front of them, as he ranted about Star Wars to Betty, who surprisingly argued back. Apparently Peter was smiling alot, because MJ noticed.

“You seem happy.” She noted. “At least, happier than normal.”

“Yeah, I guess I am… this is the first time in years that I have parents to come to a school function.” He told her.

MJ smiled, “That’s exciting.”

The butterflies in his something started to tingle faster and faster, at how excited he was. In a few more months, he was going to have a younger sister, so it was going to be nice to have parents all to himself for once, even if it was briefly.

_ Nothing was going to ruin this day.  _

***

Peter burst in through the elevator hours later, anger boiling in his stomach. He stomps through the living room, knocking over a vase in his rage. 

“Peter, what the hell?” Tony snapped.

Peter whipped around to his father, who sat on the couch, a mixture of hurt, guilt and anger filling his stomach.  _ What the hell?  _ What does he mean  _ what the hell? _

“You said you’d be there today.”

Tony’s eyes flickered with confusion then they widened, as if he had just realized what he had done. 

“Pete I’m-“

“Don’t say you’re sorry! I don’t believe it anymore!” 

Tony’s concerned eyes formed into a glare, “Knock off the attitude, young man.”

“Stop telling me what to do!”

“I will tell you what to do, I am your father!” Tony roared.

“No you’re not. I’m just some kid you found on the street.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed, “Peter, you know that isn’t true-“

Peter  _ wanted _ to believe it wasn’t true. “I know how this ends.”

“Pete-“

“You have a biological child now, and that’s great for you, but how am I supposed to compete with that?”

With that, Peter walked away, into his room, leaving Tony staring at his room, shocked, and in walked Bucky, who looked just as pissed- if not more- than Peter did. Bucky turned to Peter. 

“I cannot fucking believe you!”

Tony already felt guilty enough, but he prepared for whatever lecture Bucky had planned for him. 

“I cannot keep watching you hurt him like that, and I can’t keep defending you!” Bucky snapped. 

“I forgot-“

“This isn’t the first thing you’ve  _ forgotten _ , Tony.”

Tony blinked, what else had he forgotten? Bucky shook his head.

“You know what? There’s no use. I’m going to bed, as I was at your son’s competition all day.” Bucky snapped. 

Bucky stormed upstairs, but not before growling, “The won, by the way.”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, this isn’t the only thing they’re going to be angsty about. More angsty shit is coming up!
> 
> Anyways, I realized that I never delved into Peter’s history in the foster care system. Should I do a fanfic about? Let me know 😊


End file.
